Fisker’s Karma has been beset by delays, price increases and recalls. The most public issue happened recently with Consumer Reports, turning into something of a public relations nightmare for the company. Last week the magazine’s $107,850 Karma rendered itself unmovable after just 180 miles on the odometer.

It began as Consumer Reports was running the Karma at 65 mph. This is a routine test used to determine the accuracy of a car’s speedometer. During this test, a warning light signaled on the dash. After the Karma was brought to a stop, driving gears were no longer able to be engaged. To make a long story short, CR called the dealer who trucked the car away.

The Karma spent 48 hours at the dealer, and returned with an entirely new battery pack – along with a washing and a full charge. Yeah….nothing to see here. The dealer indicated the problem on the repair invoice saying “a fault was found in the battery and inverter cable. Both were replaced as a unit.” This is a hugely expensive repair – it’s like taking your car in for repair and having them tell you the engine was replaced. Regardless, the Karma is now up and running.

CR says it hasn’t ran into any other issues, and is currently in the process of completing check-in procedures and logging miles to “break the car in.” Hopefully nothing happens between now and formal testing. A lot of these delays and glitches are due to the bugs being worked out – Fisker is a startup company, after all. They’re really new to this, and we’re glad to see someone out there daring to push the envelope. The Karma is beautiful automobile. The key for buyers is a quick, painless resolution to problems – if everyone gets quick service like CR did, we think most customers will be happy with the result.